Tag Archives: life

This past weekend I visited my family in South Carolina to celebrate my Dad’s 75th birthday. It was one of those trips where you re-connect with family, friends, and many people you have not seen in years. One of my best friends in the world joined us because we met during our first year in college so she knows my family very well. She and I started out as sorority sisters, then became roommates, and over the years have traveled the world together, been through her divorce, the birth of her son, my crazy career moves, death, and much more.

Driving in the car together she shared with me that she and her 11 year son had attended an event in her hometown the day before. Buddhists were in town to create what’s called a Mandala at the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, SC.

The Buddhists spent days meticulously creating the work of art with colored sand. They often meditate while doing it and visitors can watch the creation come to life. I had seen this done before in North Carolina years ago. I always thought it was incredible.

While that was cool, what she shared with me next made me stop and think. After the Buddhists create the Mandala, they destroy it. You may ask “Why would they do that to something so beautiful? Why would they destroy something they have invested so much time into?”

Since reading the explanation and seeing the picture below, (click on picture to enlarge) my friend and I are applying the principles to many things in our lives. We are looking at relationships, our favorite possessions, even an old sentimental t-shirt she could not let go of even though it was stained beyond repair.

My hope is that you take a minute to look at your life and what you consider your prized possessions, and just for a moment, realize, none of it is ours to own. The people in our lives are there because they want to be. If they leave, you have to let them go. The beautiful objects like jewelry, cars, even golf clubs do not make us happy. It is only a temporary thrill. We will want something else beautiful tomorrow. Letting go of our attachments, living in the now, and accepting that change is inevitable might help us live each day with just a little more gentleness.

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be gottten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”
~Fr. Alfred D’Souza

As I look at my pathetic NCAA bracket, I realize I only have UCONN left to cheer for. The rest of my picks are done. Sort of a bummer, but at the same time, I’m stoked about a random email I got this morning from a guy from SC. He says he was the basketball coach for the opposing school that I played against for JV and Varsity in high school. He remembers me, and says he has tape of me hoopin’ it up years ago. OMG! It made me so happy to read his words.

It also got me thinking about how quickly the choices we make in life can affect our path. Back in the day, when I was teaching 9th graders in the public school system in South Carolina, I was thrilled when the head basketball coach approached me about an opportunity. He asked me if I would be interested in coaching the Girl’s JV basketball team. YES! It was, and still is a fantasy of mine.

But with that said,I had just committed to competing in the Miss SC USA pageant, and didn’t want to bail on the team, if I were to win the pageant. In the end, I chose to wait on the coaching gig. I won the pageant, and ultimately moved away. It makes me wonder if I had not won the pageant, chances are I would have continued teaching and hopefully would have been a basketball coach.

Life is such a journey that ebbs and flows, doesn’t it? I’m sure you have had things happen to you that made you say, “Just think if I had….” It’s fun to reflect back on it all. The lucky part for me is one of my best friends is a teacher and basketball coach, so I have been able to live vicariously through her all these years…

There are days when I feel like I have to stop for a second and re-evaluate. Often times, I turn to some of my favorite quotes to remind me of the positives in life, and the power of the journey. Today, as I was looking around at new quotes,I found the enclosed one spoken by Ghandi. It’s what I needed to hear today. Sometimes something simple can bring a change in our attitude, and our movement.

If you get a chance today, take a second to pick out a quote that speaks to you, Click Here to pick a quote or remember one of your favorites. Say it out loud.

It’s a beautiful cool, clear sky day here in California. I am blessed to live in such an amazing place. I will spend my day appreciating that. How about you?